Nora

Nora has two distinct origins that converged on the same form. In European languages, it arose as a short form of Honora, an Anglicized version of the Irish name Onóra, itself derived from the Latin honor meaning dignity or reputation, and it spread widely through Ireland and then across English-speaking and Scandinavian countries. Independently, Nora also exists as an Arabic name derived from the root meaning light, related to the form Nura. The name gained particular cultural resonance through Nora Helmer, the central character of Henrik Ibsen's 1879 play A Doll's House. Closely related forms include Norah, Honora, Honoria, and Nura.